HC Deb 23 February 1999 vol 326 cc276-7W
Mrs. May

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many of the Education Action Zones have applied to disapply(a) the national curriculum and (b) national terms and conditions for teachers. [68935]

Ms Estelle Morris

[holding answer 2 February 1999]: 11 schools in EAZs have informed QCA that they have disapplied the National Curriculum under Section 363 of the Education Act 1996 to provide wider opportunities for work-related learning at Key Stage 4 from September 1998. As regulations only came into force in September 1998, it is likely that more schools will take advantage of this provision during the remainder of this academic year and next academic year.

A further two schools are currently considering making an application under Section 362 from September 1999 to disapply aspects of the National Curriculum for the purposes of curricular experimentation and development.

There have been no applications to disapply the national terms and conditions for teachers.